2) Tech skills are found across a wide range of roles aside from the usual suspects like Software Developers (6% of LinkedIn members with tech skills) and IT consultants (5%), including Salespeople (6%) and Creative Designers (3%).

3) And tech skills are being used across a diverse range of sectors aside from Technology (25%), including Professional Services (12%), Financial services (11%), and Architecture and Engineering (8%).

Top industry sectors worked in by LinkedIn members with tech skills

Sector

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills (%)

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills (%)

Technology

25%

Professional Services

12%

Financial Services & Insurance

11%

Government/Education/Non-profit

10%

Architecture & Engineering

8%

Retail & Consumer products

6%

Media & Entertainment

6%

Aero/Auto/Transport

5%

Telecommunications

4%

Healthcare & Pharmaceutical

4%

Oil & Energy

4%

Manufacturing/Industrial

3%

Staffing

2%

Share

4) Tech skills are transferable – 36% of members now working in tech moved from non-tech jobs. 7% moved from Professional Services, 5% from Financial Services and Insurance and 3% from Media and Entertainment.

Sectors previously worked in by LinkedIn members with tech skills currently working in Technology (excluding those people who moved within the Technology sector at 64%)

Sector

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills (%)

Proportion of LinkedIn member with tech skills (%)

Professional Services

7%

Financial Services and Insurance

5%

Government/Education

4%

Telecommunications

3%

Retail and Consumer

3%

Media and Entertainment

3%

Aero/Auto/Transport

2%

Architecture and Engineering

2%

Healthcare

2%

Manufacturing

1%

Oil and Energy

1%

Staffing

1%

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5) Members with tech skills are highly educated with 54% in the UK holding a Bachelor’s degree, and almost 30% with a Master’s degree.

Education levels of LinkedIn members with tech skills by UK region

Region

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills (%)

Other

High School

Associate

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Doctorate

East Midlands

8%

4%

4%

57%

20%

6%

East of England

8%

5%

4%

53%

23%

7%

London

5%

3%

2%

52%

34%

4%

North East

8%

5%

5%

56%

20%

6%

North West

8%

5%

4%

58%

20%

5%

Northern Ireland

5%

3%

3%

59%

24%

6%

Scotland

4%

2%

6%

52%

28%

7%

South East

8%

4%

4%

55%

24%

6%

South West

7%

4%

4%

56%

23%

6%

Wales

7%

4%

5%

57%

21%

6%

West Midlands

8%

5%

4%

57%

22%

5%

Yorkshire and the Humber

8%

5%

4%

57%

20%

6%

*Regional totals may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

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6) The majority of graduates with tech skills stayed in Northern Ireland (75%), Scotland (69%) and London (68%) after they completed their studies at a university in the same region.

Graduate retention of LinkedIn members with tech skills

Region

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills (%)

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills (%)

Northern Ireland

74%

Scotland

69%

London

68%

North West

44%

West Midlands

34%

North East

34%

South East

34%

South West

33%

Yorkshire and the Humber

32%

Wales

31%

East of England

30%

East Midlands

21%

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7) London and the North West saw a net gain of members with tech skills in 2016. Other regions in the UK experienced a net loss of members with these skills.

Inter-regional migration of LinkedIn members with tech skills – LinkedIn members moving in for every 1 LinkedIn member moving out

Region

Change to the number of LinkedIn members with tech skills

Change to the number of LinkedIn members with tech skills

London

0.3

North West

0.1

South West

0

West Midlands

-0.1

East of England

-0.1

Northern Ireland

-0.1

Yorkshire and the Humber

-0.1

East Midlands

-0.1

Wales

-0.1

Scotland

-0.1

South East

-0.1

North East

-0.3

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8) Even so, tech skills are found right across the UK. London has the highest proportion at 30%, with 15% in the South East, 9% in the East of England and 8% in the North West.

Proportion of total UK LinkedIn membership with tech skills

Region

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills (%)

Proportion of total UK LinkedIn membership with tech skills (%)

London

30%

South East

15%

East of England

9%

North West

8%

South West

7%

Scotland

7%

West Midlands

7%

Yorkshire and the Humber

6%

East Midlands

5%

Wales

3%

North East

3%

Northern Ireland

1%

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9) Of the top 10 countries, the highest proportion of members who arrived in the UK with tech skills in 2016 came from nations outside Europe. India (12%), the USA (10%), Australia (7%), Spain (6%) and France (6%) were the top 5 countries of origin.

Top 10 countries of origin for LinkedIn members with tech skills (excluding students) from outside the UK who arrived in the UK during 2016, as a proportion of all LinkedIn members with tech skills

Country

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills who arrived in the UK in 2016 (%)

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills who arrived in the UK in 2016 (%)

India

12%

United States

10%

Australia

7%

Spain

6%

France

6%

Italy

5%

Ireland

4%

Germany

3%

South Africa

3%

United Arab Emirates

2%

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10) Over half (51%) of this international talent moved to regions outside of London in 2016, whilst just under 50% moved to the capital. For 12% the destination region was the South East; 7% moved to Scotland, and 6% to the North West.

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills who arrived in the UK in 2016 by region (excluding London at 49.5%)

Region

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills who arrived in the UK in 2016 (%)

Proportion LinkedIn members with tech skills who arrived in the UK in 2016 (%)

South East

12%

Scotland

7%

North West

6%

East of England

5%

South West

5%

West Midlands

5%

Yorkshire and the Humber

4%

East Midlands

3%

North East

2%

Wales

1%

Northern Ireland

1%

Share

11) Whilst a large proportion of international talent moved to the UK in 2016 to work in Technology at 33%, 14% worked in Professional Services, 11% worked in Financial Services and 8% in Architecture and Engineering – showing the diverse range of sectors demanding international talent with tech skills.

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills who arrived in the UK in 2016 by industry

Sector

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills who arrived in the UK in 2016 (%)

Proportion of LinkedIn members with tech skills who arrived in the UK in 2016 (%)